1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a gliding device and to a gliding assembly, the latter comprising two such devices adapted to be used together.
The invention relates to skis used in pairs, independently of one another, whereby the skier attaches a ski to each foot, unlike other gliding sports, such as monoskiing or snowboarding, which require both feet of the skier to be attached to the same gliding board.
The invention relates to the fields of ski touring or cross-country skiing, in which the front of the boot pivots to enable heel elevation above the ski in order to reproduce the walking motion, while allowing the ski to glide continuously on the snow.
2. Background Information
The document DE-199 17 960-C1 discloses a gliding device comprising a cross-country ski, as well as an elastic band connecting the tip of the ski to the boot in the area of the ankle. During use of such a gliding device, the elastic band is pulled tight and stores energy whenever the user rests his/her heel on the gliding board, such energy then being restored when the user lifts the heel. In this way, the elastic band assists the skier by facilitating the raising of the heel by means of the energy stored in the elastic band.
The elastic band is difficult to implement, as it requires finding a compromise in a stiffness that is adequately substantial to store energy and sufficiently low to enable the heel to be raised and lowered. In addition, adjusting the length of the elastic band as a function of the weight of the skier is tricky. This system has a limited useful life, especially for low temperatures. Moreover, this device does not take advantage of the energy generated by the deformation of the ski shovel which bends when the skier's heel rests on the ski.
Furthermore, in order to be used, whether uphill or download, such a device requires conventional alpine ski boots, that is to say boots comprising rear support structures. Rear support structures in a ski boot are adapted to prevent the skier from tilting backward. These structure are mechanical and, given the significant forces that can be involved during skiing, they are bulky and heavy, and they also considerably hinder forward bending.